



•THREE ATCB- 

F-QyRRGQM' 
SGHQQL B1OTLOINGS 




' '\Y/ho would not rather do one living deed than to have his ashes forever en- 
shrined in ever-burnished gold? Sir, I trust that when we come to act 
on this question, we shall take lofty ground — look beyond the narrow space which 
now circumscribes our vision — beyond the passing, fleeting point of time on which 
we stand — and so cast our votes that the blessing of education shall be conferred 
on every son of Pennsylvania — shall be carried home to the poorest child of the 
poorest inhabitant of the meanest hut of your mountains, so that even he may be 
prepared to act well his part in this land of freedom, and lay on earth a broad and 
a solid foundation for that enduring knowledge which goes on increasing through 
increasing eternity." — From speech of Thaddeus Stevens. 



COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA 

BULLETIN OF 

One, Two, Three and Four Room 

SCHOOL BUILDINGS 



ISSUED BY THE 



STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION 



MEMBERS OF BOARD 



MARTIN G. BRUMBAUGH, PHILADELPHIA DAVID B. OLIVER, PITTSBURGH 

GEORGE M. PHILIPS, WEST CHESTER JOHN S. RILLING, ERIE 

WILLIAM LAUDER, RIDDLESBURGH JAMES M. COUGHLIN. WILKES- BARRE 

NATHAN C. SCHAEFFER, HARRISBURG 



OFFICERS 



NATHAN C. SCHAEFFER, PRESIDENT H. C. RICHARDS, SUPERVISING ARCHITECT 

DAVID B. OLIVER, VICE PRESIDENT M. I. KAST, ASSISTANT ARCHITECT 

J. E. B. CUNNINGHAM, SOLICITOR 

EXECUTIVE SECRETARY 

J. GEORGE BECHT, HARRISBURG 

CLERKS AND STENOGRAPHERS 

EDNA M. KUGLER FRIEDA MYLECRAINE 



HARRISBURG, PA.: 

Wii. Stanley Ray. State Printer 
1915 






FOREWORD. 

The purpose of this bulletin is to present to boards of directors suggestive standard plans 
and limited specifications for the construction of one,, two, three and four room school buildings. 
With the present limited organization it is impossible to arrange for the details and specifications 
of the larger type of new buildings or for the re-arrangement or re-adjustment of old ones. 
These are still matters for the attention of the local boards. They will employ an architect to 
prepare the plans and specifications and, after they are thus prepared, will submit them to the 
Architect of the State Board of Education who will pass upon them. Standard plans supplied 
by the State Board of Education may be changed to suit local needs but before any legal contract 
can be made such changes must be submitted to the State Board of Education. 

People living in rural and suburban districts are demanding that the school houses shall 
be made more comfortable and shall be better adapted for good school work. Time is wasted 
and energy dissipated when school children are crowded in buildings constructed without regard 
to sanitary and hygienic requirements. The School Code specifically requires that school houses 
built hereafter must conform to the modern principles of lighting, heating, ventilating and 
physical activity. 

An attractive school house surrounded by large and well-kept school grounds is the 
best public asset in any community. The day of the barn-like structure is passing rapidly. 
A substantially built school house designed to meet the needs and purposes of the children, 
with due regard for modest artistic effects of grace and beauty, will profoundly influence the 
whole community life. Such a building costs but little, if any, more than the severely plain, 
uninteresting and uninviting school house of the "olden time." 

To aid directors in considering the elementary questions involved in school house con- 
struction this bulletin is issued under the direction and by authority of the State Board of 
Education. 



LOCATION AND GROUNDS. 

The location and amount of any real estate required by any school district for school 
purposes is determined by the board of school directors of the district ; but the Code makes 
special provision that hereafter no new school building shall be erected without a proper play- 
ground being provided therefor. In this connection, four things ought to be taken into account 
and carefully considered when a new school house is to be built: (1) size of ground, (2) acces- 
sibility of the site, (3) nature of the soil, (4) remoteness from railroads, busy thoroughfares and 
noisy factories. An acre of ground and more, if possible, ought to be set apart for school 
purposes. The larger plot will give ample room for recreation and also furnish opportunity 
for laying out' flower beds and school gardens. 

Generally, the site ought to be near the center of school population and easily accessible 
for the greatest number of children; yet this one fact should not out-weight all other con- 
sideration. A large area of good, healthful soil away from distracting influences will add 
materially to the health, comfort and welfare of the pupils and these advantages will more 
than compensate for the possible inconvenience that some pupils may experience in walking an 

additional distance. 

(4) 



V; of D. 

OCT ; - me 



R 



A 



The soil on which the building is to stand ought to be as free from moisture as possible. 
A marshy school ground is a serious menace to the health of the children. From the view 
point of good sanitation, a dry, gravelly, sandy soil furnishes the best location. It is worse 
than a blunder to expose children to the blighting influences of an infected soil. Usually in 
rural districts and in the villages, the annoyances from thoroughfare and factory are regarded 
as inconsiderable. Yet even here the rattle of vehicles passing on the highway, the shriek 
of the train and the whir and rumble of machinery in the nearby mill or factory are very 
distracting and visibly affect the nervous system of the child. 

The beauty and attractiveness of the school ground will be greatly enhanced if trees 
surround it; and if in addition a neatly trimmed and well-kept hedge encircles it, there will 
be an effective example to arouse and stimulate the civic and personal pride and the aesthetic 
sense of the whole community. In almost every part of Pennsylvania the native pine, spruce 
or hemlock will lend itself t'o this adornment. The efforts of the pupils may be enlisted in 
beautifying the school surroundings by giving them an opportunity to assist in planting the 
trees and hedges and in caring for them. In this way Arbor Days may be given special sig- 
nificance. The best school work can be accomplished where the best physical conditions prevail. 



LOCATION ON PLOT. 

The selection of the school site is important but not less so is the location and adjustment 
of the building to the shape and size of the plot. Assuming the area to be one acre, it should 
measure according to standard form 10 rods by 16 rods with the short side front. Relatively 
proportionate measurements will obtain when the plot is larger or smaller. It is impossible 
to lay down hard and fast rules in regard to such matters, since the surroundings vary so 
widely and these must always be taken into account. 

To secure the best light, the windows of the school room ought to face toward the east or 
west. They may also face toward the south, if by means of proper curtains the direct' rays 
of the sun are softened so that the eyes of the pupils are not dazzled and irritated. Every school 
room ought to have direct sunlight during some period of the day to keep it healthful and 
wholesome. Sunlight is the great germ destroyer. An eastern or western exposure gives 
this for a part of the day but the southern exposure, while giving the full day of sunshine, is 
sure to affect the eyes of the children, if not properly controlled, because of the bright rays that 
dazzle and disturb their sight. Even with proper shades or blinds, great care must be exercised 
in regulating the light coming from a southern exposure. 



FLOOR AND AIR SPACE. 

The Code requirement is that "every school room shall have not less than fifteen square 
feet of floor space and not less than two hundred cubic feet of air space per pupil." The size of 
the room ought to be such as to accommodate approximately 40 pupils in single seats and leave 
sufficient space for aisles, teacher's desk, reading tables or any other regularly used furniture. 
A room to fulfill these requirements will measure 24x32x13. A slight variation of these dimen- 
sions may be necessary to suit local conditions. These measurements conform to the "normal 
requirements for vision, hearing and depth to which light will carry." Pupils of normal hearing 



sitting in the rear part of the room will be able to hear distinctly the teacher who speaks in 
moderately forceful natural tones. This is of great advantage to teacher and pupil. It relieves 
both of strain and fatigue. 

In considering the floor space of a building, the matter of cloak rooms, vestibules, library 
and fuel room ought to receive careful attention. These are essential elements in the planning 
of any school building of whatever size or material. Separate cloak rooms for boys and girls 
should be arranged. They should be provided with hooks for the hats, cloaks and coats, and 
shelves for the dinner baskets. The doors of the cloak rooms should open into the main room. 
To have them open only into the vestibule adds considerably to the problem of discipline. It is 
especially important to keep the cloak rooms in a sanitary condition. To that end ample light 
and ventilation should be provided. 

A small room for library and storage purposes has come to be one of the most useful 
agencies of the rural school. With very little additional expense such a room may be provided 
with books, book cases, reference works, a table and a few chairs. This will give a place for 
the older pupils to study when they have special work to prepare. The library room is an in- 
dispensible part of the modern country school house. A fuel room or fuel basement should also 
be included in the plans. It will cost less than a separate coal house and will add greatly to 
the convenience of the school plant. 



LIGHT. 

Special attention is called to the requirements of the Code governing the question of light 
area and floor space. "In every school room the total light area must equal at least twenty per 
centum of the floor space, and the light shall not be admitted from the front of the seated pupils." 
The best light is obtained when the windows are placed on the left side of the room only and 
toward the rear. By this arrangement cross lights are prevented and the eyes of the pupils 
are relieved from the necessity of continual readjustment to the unequal sources of light. 
Windows should be placed as near together as possible and thus avoid the shadows thrown by 
intervening wall space. Unfortunately, the value of uni-lateral or one-side lighting is not yet 
well understood and appreciated. But scientific, practical demonstration proves beyond a doubt 
that uni-lateral lighting gives the best results in rooms when the pupil seated farthest from the 
window is not distant more than twice the height of the top of the window from the floor. The 
window sill should be from 3-|- to 4 feet above the floor and the top of the window should reach 
as near to the ceiling as possible. 

The light of the room is largely modified by the amount of blackboard space and the color 
of the walls. Blackboards absorb much of the light and on dark days affect, very materially, 
lighting conditions. The glaring white walls found in so many school rooms are equally bad in 
their effect upon the pupils' eyes. The most satisfactory suggestions relating to the tinting of the 
walls come from a report made to the school board of New York City by a committee of the best- 
known oculists of the city. According to this report, the lower portions of the room should be a 
light brown. The walls should be a light buffi tint or a light gray and the ceiling should be of 
ivory white. The effect of this combination of tints is very restful and cheerful. Green, which 
was formerly supposed to be a good school room color for shades and tinting, is shown by experi- 
ment and demonstration to be a very troublesome one. Light-colored wood should be selected for 
the furniture and furnishings and the wood work should not be highly polished. Natural finish 
with a dull surface is best. 



A PROPER PLAYGROUND. 

A proper playground should be well drained ; be easily accessible to pupils ; fairly level ; 
properly surfaced. A natural sanded surface seems to meet ordinary requirements. A sandy 
loam properly underdrained or a sand covered clay will be found to give good service as play 
surfaces. Cinders, gravel and broken stone offer many objections for surfacing purposes. Man- 
ufactured surfaces, such as brick, cement and asphalt, are too unyielding to be considered good 
for play purposes. Torpedo gravel and dust macadam make fairly satisfactory surfacing. Grass 
plots are highly desirable for play but they can only be maintained in the country where large 
spaces for school grounds are available. There are hundreds of school playgrounds in Penn- 
sylvania that could be made more attractive and useful by the expenditure of a very little thought, 
time and money. 

While the equipment is important, the space for free play is of greater importance. If 
ready made apparatus encumbers the ground, the opportunities for mass plays and spontaneous 
games are limited. Plays are of greater consequence than apparatus. 

The amount of play space per pupil ought never to be less than 30 square feet. It will 
be observed that this provides small space for actual play, though it gives room for freedom of 
movement. A school ground that affords 100 square feet per pupil offers opportunities for free 
play and this should be the minimum. In rural communities there should never be less than one 
acre. It will be all the better if a larger area can be secured. Two acres, or even four acres, can 
be profitably utilized for baseball, tennis and croquet, and a portion of the area may be set apart 
for school gardens. 

A proper playground needs t'o be properly supervised. If a special supervisor is not pro- 
vided for the play periods, then provision must be made to have the teacher attend to these 
activities. 

Public sentiment has been aroused in behalf of the movement in a very marked degree. 
In some of the cities independent organizations are furnishing the means for equipping and carry- 
ing on playground activities. Parents and teachers realize that clean, well kept, beautiful sur- 
roundings profoundly influence moral and intellectual growth. 



SCHOOL HOUSE CONSTRUCTION. 
Code Requirements. 

The board of school directors of each district shall provide the necessary grounds and 
suitable school buildings to accommodate all the children between the ages of six and twenty-one 
years, in said district, who attend school. Such buildings shall be constructed, furnished, equipped 
and maintained in a proper manner as herein provided, suitable provisions being made for the 
heating, ventilating and sanitary conditions thereof, so that every pupil in any such building may 
have proper and healthful accommodations. 

The code specifically points out that no new school building shall be contracted for, con- 
structed, or reconstructed in any school district of the second, third, or fourth class until their 
plans and specifications have teen submitted to the State Board of Education and any recom- 
mendations concerning the same have teen laid before the board of school directors. 



BUILDING REQUIREMENTS. 

Floor Space, Air Space, Light. 

All school buildings hereafter built or rebuilt shall comply with the following conditions : 
In every school room the total light area must equal at least twenty per cent, of the floor 

space and the light shall not be admitted thereto from the front of seated pupils. 

Every school room shall have not less than 15 square feet of floor space and not less than 

200 cubic feet of air space per pupil. 

Heat and Ventilation. 

No board of school directors in this Commonwealth shall use a common heating stove for 
the purpose of heating any school room unless such stove is in part enclosed within a shield or 
jacket made of galvanized iron or other suitable material and of sufficient height and so placed 
as to protect all pupils while seated at their desks from direct rays of heat. 

No school room or recitation room shall be used in any public school which is not pro- 
vided with ample means of ventilation and whose windows, when they are the only means of 
ventilation, shall not admit of ready adjustment both at the top and bottom and which does not 
have some device to protect pupils from direct currents of cold air. Every school room shall be 
furnished with a thermometer. 

Every school room hereafter erected or constructed, whose cost shall exceed $4,000.00, or 
which is more than one story high, shall be so heated and ventilated that each school room and 
recitation room shall be supplied with fresh air at the rate of not less than 30 cubic feet per minute 
for each pupil and which air may be heated to an average temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit 
during zero weather. 

Fire Protection. 

All school buildings two or more stories high hereafter erected or leased in any school dis- 
trict of the first class shall be of fire-proof construction ; and in any district of the second, third, 
or fourth class every building more than two stories high hereafter built or leased for school 
purposes shall be of fireproof construction. 

All doors of entrance into any building more than one story high, used for a public school 
building in this Commonwealth, shall be made to open outward. 

In all school buildings more than one story high, all entrance doors as well as all doors 
from class rooms, school rooms, cloak rooms, or other rooms into halls, shall open outward. 

Every school building shall be provided with necessary fire escapes and safety appliances 
as required by law. 

The board of school directors in each school district shall put the grounds about every 
school building in a neat, proper and sanitary condition and so maintain the same, and shall pro- 
vide and maintain a proper number of shade trees. 

Construction and Care of Toilets. 

The board of school directors in every district shall, with every building used for school 
purposes, provide and maintain in a proper manner a suitable number of water closets or out- 
houses, not less than two for each building where both sexes are in attendance. Such water 
closets or outhouses shall be suitably constructed for, and used separately by, the sexes. When 
any water closets or outhouses are outside and detached from the school building, the entrances 
thereto shall be properly screened, and they shall, unless constructed at a remote distance from 



each other, have separate means of access thereto, and, if possible, for not less than twenty-five 
feet from such water closets or outhouses, such means of access or walks leading thereto shall be 
separated by a closed partition, wall, or fence, not' less than seven feet high. 

The board of school directors shall keep all water closets or outhouses, used in connection 
with any school building, in a clean and sanitary condition, and shall, not less than ten days prior 
to the openings of any term of school, and oft'ener if necessary, have them properly cleaned and 
disinfected by the use of fresh dry-slacked lime, or other proper disinfecting material. 

Social Uses of Grounds and Buildings. 

The board of school directors of any district may permit the use of its school grounds and 
buildings for social, recreation, and other proper purposes, under such rules and regulations as 
the board may adopt. 

Any board of school directors may make such arrangements as it may see proper with any 
association or individual for the temporary use of school property for schools, playgrounds, re- 
creation, or other educational purposes. 

Condemnation of Buildings. 

The State Superintendent shall have power to condemn as unfit for use, or on account of 
unsanitary or other improper conditions, any school building, school site, or outbuilding, in this 
Commonwealth, and upon failure of the board of school directors to remedy such conditions, he 
shall have power to withhold or declare forfeited all or any part 1 of the annual appropriation ap- 
proportioned to any such school district. 

Standard Plans for Buildings 

The State Board of Education has available for distribution standard plans of one, two, 
three and four-room buildings which embody the latest and best thought in school house con- 
struction. In planning these the architect has kept in mind the requirements of the code, namely : 
sufficient light, floor space, air space, and proper heat and ventilation; vestibules and cloak rooms 
have been provided and wall spaces are available for plenty of blackboard surface. Suggestions 
relative to tinting the walls and ceiling and the painting of the woodwork are indicated in the 
specifications. 

If requisition is made upon the State Board of Education for any of these plans, blue 
prints covering the detailed drawings for building will be forwarded. If the proposed building 
is erected in accordance with the plans furnished, the board may proceed without further approval. 
In case the plans are used as a basis upon which other plans are formulated, then such changed 
plans together with the changed specifications shall be submitted in duplicate to the State Board 
of Education before contract is awarded. 

Plans for Large Buildings. 

It is clearly impossible for the State Board of Education to furnish detailed plans and 
specifications for buildings beyond a four-room capacity. To do so would require a force of 
architects that could not be maintained within the limits of the ordinary appropriation made to 
the State Board of Education. Moreover, standard plans of the larger buildings rarely, if ever, 
fit the conditions peculiar to a particular locality and environment. To get the most satisfactory 
plan, the architect must study the site in relation to the surrounding buildings and must know 
definitely what special features are to be incorporated in the plans. Furthermore, the architect 



10 

employed under these circumstances is expected to make frequent inspections while the work of 
construction is in progress to see that the terms of the contract are fully complied with. 

After the architect has been selected, it is advisable to submit the preliminary sketches to 
the State Board of Education so that if any changes are recommended they can be incorporated 
in the finished prints and specifications. The law specifically states that no contract shall be 
awarded until the plans and specifications have teen submitted to the State Board of Education 
and any recommendations concerning the same by the State Board of Education have been laid 
before the board of school directors. 

Building Hints. 

The best lighting is secured when windows are placed on the left of the seated pupils or 
on the left and rear. Lighting on opposite sides of the room results in cross lighting and uneven 
distribution which is injurious to the eyes. As the best light comes from above, the windows 
should reach as near to the ceiling as the safety of the structure will permit. 

The window shades should be neutral gray in color, large enough so that rays of light 
cannot enter at the sides, and two shades to each window fastened in the center of the sash. By 
such an arrangement the shades can be pulled either up or down and light admitted from above 
or below. 

Floors should be double — especially in rural schools. This will prevent pupils from having 
cold feet and will be a means of saving heat. Building paper or felt should be placed between 
the floors. 

Wall space should be conserved so as to provide plenty of blackboard surface. 

The color scheme for interiors should receive careful thought and attention. Pupils are 
profoundly affected by colors. The sides should ,be neutral gray or light buff. Glaring white 
walls are a positive injury to sight, and colors having an excess of blue or green make the room 
cold and cheerless. An ivory white ceiling makes a good reflecting surface. 

Plans submitted to the State Board of Education for approval should show definite meas- 
urements and details — floor areas, story heights, lighting area, heating and ventilating, exact 
location of stairways, cloak rooms, etc. 



11 

The following suggestive one, two, three and four-room plans are for the use of boards 
of school directors. If requisition is made upon the State Board of Education for any one of 
these plans, blue prints covering the detailed drawings for building will be forwarded. If the 
proposed building is erected in accordance with the plans furnished, boards may proceed without 
further approval. 

In case the plans are used as a basis upon which other plans are formulated, then such 
changed plans together with the changed specifications shall be submitted in duplicate to the 
State Board of Education before contract is awarded. Floor plans and elevations may be varied 
to suit local needs. It is believed that the following designs combine the maximum of comfort, 
convenience, economy and attractiveness. 

THE COUNTRY SCHOOL PLANT OP THE FUTURE. 



A 

Mills's 

Fftu/r 



HAfitAHS 
IA/?M 



VA/py 

fAfiM 



JOA/fSS 
MAlHtET 

GARDEN 



/SOS 

CULTI- 
VATED 
CROP 



isio 

CULTI- 
VATED 
CROP 



tail 

CULTI- 
VATED 
CROP 



FIELD ROAO 



<£ ■& <& 

<Q <S QoffcuHio'i 'S> $ 




PUBLIC ROAO 



Such a school plant will furnish opportunities for training boys and girls in real life 
activities. It will create a good social and industrial atmosphere and promote appreciation of 
country life. 



Standard One Room Plans 



(13) 



15 






•M-J-KAST' ARCHITECT 



TYPE A. No. 7. 




TYPE A. No. 7. 



16 




-TYPE-A-NO-8- 

•M-I-KAST- -A-E.CH1TE.CT' 



TYPE A. No 




TYPE A. No. 



17 




TYPE A. No. 1. 




TYPE A. No. 1. 




TYPE A. No. 2. 



19 







H<T e.cimr-J*- /<?/ 



TYPE A. No. 3. 




TYPE A. No. 3. 



20 





TYPE A. No. 4. 



TtBJM Alt. IMIBT 



BI/ACK BOAB-D 



CLACK BOAED 



DDDDDD 

Dnnnnnn 
nnnnnnn 

n p mm □ □ 

Dnnnnnn 

nnnnnn 



TYPE A. No. 4. 



21 




TYPE A. No 



ftEJH ATE- 




TYPE A. No. 5. 




J IDE, E.LE.VATION 




BEAU ELEVATION 



FEONT ELEVATION 




TYPE A. No. C. 



Standard Two Room Plans 



(23) 




J5CAL.E. Of FEEX 
TYPE B. No. 1. 



26 




-TYPE-B-NO-2- 

.-M-lKA6T-AliCHlTECT- 



TYPE B. No 



0^ 



s- N 




TYPE B. No. 2. 



Standard Three Room Plans 



(27) 



29 




»u, 



WMM f 



Wwssil 



-TYPE E.- NO- ONE- 



TYPE B. No. 1. 




TYPE E. No. 1. 



30 




TYrE E. No 




i i-— 



TYPE E. No. 2. 



Standard Four Room Plans 



32 




HEAR ELEVATION 




JIDE ELEVATION 




IEONT ELEVATION 



l'YPK C. No. 1. 



33 




FI&l/T flooe, plan 



TYPE C. No. 1. 



34 




rSCWT Z^LLVATJOS/ 




TYPE D. No. 1. 



35 




JJ&L ZLLVAT/OM; 




£?A3£M£NT &ZA// 

Jhs/e. of Jeer 



TYPE D. No. 1. 



Standard Plan For District High School 



(37) 



39 




■AUDITORIUM' 

32--0- X 50-0- 
■ SEATS 225 




•D15TRICT- 

•High • School- 
one EIGHTH INCH EQUALS ONE FOOT 



Pennsylvania -State 
Board -of -Education 

Ml KAST ARCHITECT ■ 



•Basement.'Plaw 




•District- 
•High • School- 

ONE EIGHTH INCH EQUALS ONE FOOT. 



Pennsylvania • 5tat£ 
Board • of- -Education 

MI- KA.ST ARCHITECT 



■ Ficst -Fl.0012.- Plats 



Rural School Consolidation 



45 




CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL, CHARLESTON, TIOGA CO., PA. 




TRANSPORTATION OF PUPILS TO CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL AT CHARLESTON, TIOGA CO., PA. 



46 
A CONTRAST. 





i I ■ i 



mm 




ill:.' -;' ■■ y WU 
ill ■ f|r 



47 
One and two room schools built from plans furnished by the State Board of Education. 




f yw 




^Nk HI M JuuHk Dfs mHH j^^k 




1 wis J 


1 


1 1 1 I " f 
*. ki lii it i 
Ifiiltfl 


' ^R^t^-l/t^yl ™ 1 1 


E I 




■kESTf 



TYPE B. No. 1. 
NICKTOWN SCHOOL, BAKU TWP.. CAMBRIA CO., TA. 



49 



SUGGESTIONS FOR THE EQUIPMENT 

OF 

RURAL SCHOOLS 



SCHOOL ROOM EQUIPMENT 

Every well equipped school room ought to have certain essential physical adjustments. 
The following list of articles, with probable price attached, may prove helpful to boards of school 
directors when considering the purchase of necessary fixtures : 

40 single desks, $100 00 

5 rear seats for desks, 8 50 

Teacher's desk and chair, 10 50 

1 eight-inch globe, 2 25 

6 wall maps, 7 50 

1 wall clock, 2 50 

1 primary reading chart, 5 00 

12 folding chairs, 7 50 

3 tables for various uses, 4 50 

Window shades (two for each window), 16 00 

12 blackboard erasers, 2 00 

Half gross coat and hat hooks for cloak rooms, 7 50 

Thermometer, 50 

State and U. S. flag, 2 50 

Hygrometer, 1 35 

Total, $178 10 



50 



A PRACTICAL DEMONSTRATION. 




Sample Group of Eighth Grade Pupils 



Demonstrating the absolute necessity of having adjustable desks in every school room- 
and especially in ungraded school rooms. 




Courtesy of the Columbia School Supply Co., Indianapolis, Intl. 



51 




"Mercei" Adjustable Desk and Chair. 
Courtesy of New Jersey School-Churcli Co., Trenton, X, J. 



52 



Horizontal Adjustment of Top at will of occupant. 

Adapted to varying uses. 

The only scientific and practical Plus and Minus 

adjustment. 
Top has horizontal adjustment of 3,'4 inches. 



Inkwell exposed when top 
withdrawn for writing ; 
covered and protected when 
top returned for study. 




Vertical adjust- 
ment of Chair 
Seat 03= 

Top of seat from 

floor: 

No. 1. 18 '< " " to 15" 

No. 3. 16" to 12^" 

No. 5. 13 y 2 " to 11" 

Not adjusted by 

occupant. 



AMERICAN STEEL ADJUSTABLE BOX DESK WITH SLIDING TOP 

CHAIR EQUIPPED WITH ADJUSTABLE BACK SUPPORT 
Courtesy of The American Seating Co., Chicago. III. 



53 





Moulthrop Movable and Adjustable School Chair. 

Courtesy of Lanyslow, Fowler Co., 

Rochester, New York. 




54 
TYPES OF INDIVIDUAL DRINKING CUPS AND FOUNTAINS. 




■tcsil J. Kern author of "Among Country Schools." A Plan Which 
Can be Used by Any Teacher. 







Courtesy of the 

Waterman-'Wateibury Co., 

Minneapolis. Minn. 




Courtesu of the Smith System Heating Co., 
Minneapolis, Minn. 



Courtesy of the Hart Mfy. Co.. Grand Itapids, Wiseon 



55 

VENTILATION. 
Suggestions for Window Ventilation. 

1. Air in the school room should be changed several times per hour. 

2. Before the sessions of school work begin and during intermissions every school room 
should be flushed with fresh air. 

3. In ventilating it is as important to provide for the removal of foul air as for the intro- 
duction of pure air. Where natural means must be depended upon for ventilation, foul air flues 
or exhausts are absolutely essential. 

4. The simplest method of window ventilation is to place a board four or six inches wide 
under the sash of the lower window. With the window thus raised, there is considerable space 
between the sashes at the middle through which fresh air comes. There will be a movement of 
the air, however, only in case there is enough difference in temperature to produce a draft. 

5. The principle involved in the above method has been wrought out in various appliances. 
One arrangement shows a perforated board for the free entrance of air and to this at its lower 
edge another board is fastened at an angle so that the current's of air as they enter are deflected 
upwards. Another device takes the form of a box set under the window with perforations on 
the exposed side and top. The box rests on the sill and extends inside far enough to allow the 
fresh air to pass upward through the perforations in the top. 

7. Where steam or hot water heaters are used to heat the room directly, one method of 
ventilation is to have openings through the wall just behind the radiator. The front and ends 
of the radiator may be enclosed, thus the cold air entering passes around and through the radiator 
sections and is warmed as it enters. In most of these devices the supply of air may be controlled 
by a regulating slide. Bine wire is used to cover the openings and thus snow and rain are kept 
out ; furthermore, the heavy currents of air are broken and draft's avoided. 

Some of these appliances are of metal instead of wood but the principle involved in all of 
them is the same. 

Ventilation for a One-room School. 

(Adapted from "Air, Efficiency and Health" by W. E. Watt.) 

Put a tin pan or basin filled with water on the stove or furnace where the steam arising 
from it will mix with the air of the room. Keep it supplied with water all day. It should be 
filled before the fire is started in the morning and should be left full at' night. 

Hang a thermometer about as high as the heads of the sitting pupils. It should not be 
against a cold wall, but suspended from the ceiling by a string where direct heat or draft cannot 
reach it. Perhaps in front of the teacher's desk is the best place, if you can put a guard about 
it to prevent its being thrown down. 

The proper temperature without humidity must be 70 degrees or more; but with boiling 
water on the heater about 60 degrees will be found comfortable. 

There must be some air in the room which has not been in contact with the heating ap- 
paratus. Open one or more windows at the t'op — none at the bottom, in cold weather. This 
should be done before the work of school begins in the morning, and the openings should be 
preserved all day, but varied with changes in the weather. When severely cold, very little will 
answer. When the wind blows against the window a small opening is enough. But on a still 
day, or when the weather is mild, the windows may be dropped two feet or more each, on one 
side of the room. Do not wait for the air to get foul before ventilating. Have the air good at 
the start and keep it good all the time. 



56 

Avoid letting the lower part of the room get cold by a sudden inrush of outdoor air in large 
quantities. It is dangerous for the child t'o sit partly submerged in cold air while his head is in 
a warm stratum. 

Look out for pupils who have played at recess or run fast to school and are covered with 
perspiration and somewhat tired. Some gentle exercise should be given them until they are 
cooled rather than permitting them to sit in a cold place without action on a cold day. Instruct 
all to acquire the habit of caring for themselves. An extra wrap or gentle exercise is a wise 
precaution. 

When outer doors are in use, close the windows. Do not permit a cold layer of air to 
fall to the floor while the upper air is warm. In case of a mistake like this, close all windows 
and doors and stir up the fire for a while, giving the pupils something to do which will cause 
circulation to increase. 

It is a good thing to let pupils know the new rules for ventilation and have the work 
actually done by some of the boys. 

When the room is warm enough and fairly well filled with pupils, it is not wise to keep 
up a great fire and use the windows for cooling the room. The fire should be run at as low a 
state as practicable after the first heating of the room in the morning. 

Air is right if it feels right. Trust your own feelings more than the readings of the 
thermometer. If you get enough steam into the air you will not be likely to care for too much 
heat. The danger is that the water on the stove may be neglected or that the floor may be 
flooded with cold air by opening a door or raising a bottom sash, or by having too wide an open- 
ing at the top. 

When a room seems chilly, first see if there is too little humidity. A cold dry room may 
be made comfortable in less time by putting steam into it than by increasing the fire. The colder 
the day in winter the greater the need for moisture in the air. 

Hygrometer. 

The hygrometer, an instrument for measuring the different degrees of moisture in the 
atmosphere, should have a place in every school room along with the thermometer. Air at a 
temperature of 68% should show from 40% to 60% saturation. One can work comfortably in 
such an atmosphere. 



HEATING AND VENTILATING SYSTEMS. 

The State Board of Education cannot undertake to prescribe the definite and specific 
systems of heating and ventilating that may be employed for the various kinds of school build- 
ings in this Commonwealth. It suggests that boards of directors in making contracts should be 
careful to have the specifications cover the code requirements. Whatever may be the system of 
heating installed, the specifications, before they can be approved by the State Board of Educa- 
tion, must contain a statement requiring the contractor to guarantee that the system of heating 
and ventilating described will heat the room to a temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit in zero 
weather and provide at least 30 cubic feet of fresh air per minute for each pupil to be ac- 
commodated. 

On the following pages are cuts showing a number of typical modern systems embodying 
the generally approved principles of heating and ventilating. 



57 




THE WATEKBDKT SYSTEM— STYLE C. 

of the Watei-man-Watcrbury Co., Minneapolis. Minn. 



58 




FOUL 
AIR 

EXTRACTOR 



THE SMITH SYSTEM SAN1TAKY FURNACE. 

Used when the chimney extends to the floor. The fresh air intake regularly is placed on the back of the furnace. Courtesy 
of the Smith System Heatinii Co., Minneapolis, Minn. 



59 




Courtesy of tile Hart Manufacturing Co., Grand Rapids. Wiscon 



60 




A Hero Heater connected to double floe built from ground uu. A permanent arrangement. Always 

good draft; always good ventilation. Courtesy of Charles Smith 

Company, 57 W. Lake St., Chicago, III. 




Courtesy of the Smith System Heating Co., Minneapolis, Minn. 



61 




62 

SANITARIES. 

Special attention should be given to the construction and care of outside sanitaries. Many 
of the outbuildings now in use are thoroughly disgraceful and a menace to health and morals. 
Perhaps nowhere in the rural school equipment is a radical reform so much needed. A poorly 
built and badly kept outhouse is the most demoralizing agency connected with our schools. Where 
conditions require the use of outdoor toilets, they should be substantially built and the entrance 
properly screened. They should be kept absolutely clean and the waste disposed of in a proper 
manner. The excreta should either be removed from the vaults or covered with earth, lime, saw- 
dust or ashes. The law specially enjoins upon school directors the duty of making provision for 
keeping the toilets in a clean and sanitary condition. 



CHEMICAL CLOSET SYSTEMS. 

Chemical closet systems have been installed in some places. Should these prove to be 
entirely satisfactory, the question of providing proper sanitary toilets will be greatly simplified. 
The following cuts illustrate some of the systems that are being installed. 



63 




Sectional view showing interior of model outdoor sanitary. Note the operation of seat which is raised by 

This sketch accompanies blue print details for construction furnished by the State Board of Education of 
Pennsylvania. 




WEIGHT BOX 




VIEW- FKOM -REAR.- 
SHOWING DOOR. 
REMOVED 



T20PETHEOUGH PULLEY- 
■AT TOP -OF- 
WEIGHT- BOX- 



J/°Mf?T2IC~VI£W 

OF -PARTS- OF 

WAT&B-CLyeT-^B 
JCH 0O Lf- 



-5CALE- 



MM 



foot INCHES 3 6 3 IE 



■VIEW- FBOM-FBOHF 
" -SHOWING -SEAT- LOWEEED- 

WHEH-N0T-IN-U5E-7HE- SEAT- IS 
£AJ5ED- AUTOMATICALLY- SY-THE WEIGHT- 



Blue Prints Furnished by the Pennsylvania State Board of Education. 



65 





SECTION -ON •"&•&"' 



J -PLAN -SECTIONS A- "ELEVATIONS- 

•WATE-T2.- Cl°fErT- ^>~yCM 00 L > f- 



5CALE 
I i i i i i 



Blue Prints Furnished by the Pennsylvania State Board of Education. 



66 




• EMD- ELEVATION • 



l . l ,. l i 



^^ 






'-wm 



m 



•REAR- ELEVATION • 



i I, i, i 1 1, i i . . . ... 

, I, I . I Ml II 'I II 



m 



II j I l" l I I 



I i i I ii riii 



•EBONT-ELEVATION- 



HEAVY GALVANIZED WlT£r 
MESH WITHCOPPEE. 
fLY 5CP.EEM, BACK 




•EHD -ELEVATION • 



•PLAN -SECTIONS •&■ "ELEVATIONS- 
•WAT&&- CLP/tVT- ro~jCtt 00 Lf- 

SCALE 

I I I M l 



Blue Prints furnished by the Pennsylvania State Board of Education. 



67 




A battery of Waterbury Sanitary Closets installed in a school toilet 

an old building may be sectioned off for the purpose. 

Courtesy of the Waterman-Watcrbury Company, Minneapolis. Minn. 



Any vacant space, sufficiently private, 




Courtesy of the Kaustinc Company. Incorporated, Buffalo. .Y. T. 




Courtcsii of the V'es' Disinfect inn Company. New York City, N. T. 



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